The Habsburg Holy Roman Empire

Question 1

The Holy Roman Empire

Answer 1

476 CE: ”last Roman” Romulus Augustulus died
– 800 Charlemagne declared “Emperor of the
Romans,” but title died out after he did when his
heirs split his kingdom
– German king Otto I (d. 973) revived the idea in
961 & it survived until 1806 in one form or other
– in theory, a continuation of the Roman Empire
in Europe
– in reality, much less centralized and much less
powerful than the classical Roman Empire

Question 2

The Imperial College

Answer 2

the emperor was elected by the Imperial
College (not a school but a collegium)
– Imperial College was made up of German
nobility:4 princes/kings & 3 bishops
– The Imperial College wanted to keep the
emperor weak in order to strengthen
themselves.
– Result: the title of “emperor” carried prestige
did not confer absolute authority

Question 3

House of Habsburg

Answer 3

– family goes back to perhaps 900s
– rose to power in 1100s
– started to dominate
Austria & Germany in
1273
– served as Holy Roman
Emperors 1452– 1740
(and longer)
– “Let others wage wars: you, fortunate Austria,
marry.”

Question 4

Charles V (d. 1558)

Answer 4

– ruled Spain, Germany,
Netherlands, much of
Italy, parts of North
Africa, and much of the
Americas
– emperor at time of Age
of Discovery, Protestant
Reformation, & height of
Ottoman Empire
– sometimes allied with
papacy sometimes fought
against it

Question 5

Charles V (d. 1558): Detailed

Answer 5

– grandson of Ferdinand &
Isabella (& other monarchs we
haven’t talked about)
– by 1519 inherited rule over
most of Europe, something that
almost no king had done since
Roman times
– saw himself as defender of
Catholic Christianity vs. both
the Muslim Ottomans and the
various Protestant Christians
of Europe

Question 6

Charles V (d. 1558): Enemies

Answer 6

– Francis I, Valois King of
France was a major enemy
– Lutherans & other
Protestants were enemies
– some of the German princes
became Lutheran in order to
gain vis-à-vis Charles, so even
some Germans were enemies
– The Ottomans were enemies

Question 7

Philip II (d. 1598)

Answer 7

– son of Charles V & king of
Spain & Portugal
– 1550s: began to benefit from
wealth of New World (gold, silver,
& trade goods)
– 1580s: built Spanish Armada;
attempted invasion of England
1588
– serious about Christianity; hero
of Counter Reformation &
supported Catholic forces in
French Wars of Religion